Roses Are Red & So Is Blood
by Silver-Infinite
Summary: Several women had marked Elizabeth's life. Her mother, her half sister Mary, her stepmothers, and last but not least cousin and rival, Mary Stuart. However her father had influenced it the most much to her chagrin. A one-shot examination into Elizabeth.


_Several women had marked Elizabeth's life. Her mother, her half sister Mary, her stepmothers, and last but not least cousin and rival, Mary Stuart. However her father had influenced it the most much to her chagrin. _

Before she had turned three Anne Boleyn, her mother, had been executed under the orders of her father, King Henry VIII, for adultery and treason. A witness to the execution had described the dignity and calm that her mother had shown, how touching she was. The executioner had arranged so that she did not see the sword come cutting her neck off. As soon as her mother had been arrested, Elizabeth's life went to hell despite her young age. She wasn't a princess anymore the _title bastard _replaced it. Exiled, she had nothing but the memories and ghost of her mother with her.

Despite her young age, Elizabeth had felt all the distress of her mother to protect them from her father's anger. Yet her mother did nothing wrong she only just wanted to protect her, protect her from everything. Because Anne Boleyn was hated, was not recognized as the legitimate queen of England. Anne knew that her daughter's legitimacy would be challenged all of her life. In return Elizabeth knew that her mother had always reached so high for her until she was prevented from doing so. However it was in vain and it coasted Anne her head.

This why Elizabeth always followed her head not her heart. Much as she loved her mother in secret Elizabeth knew that her mother's heart still pinned for her father. That made Elizabeth want just scream. That man was not even capable of love! Discarding wife after wife expect for her stepmother Jane. However giving England a male heir had coasted Jane her life. Ironic since giving birth to only a_ girl _had eventually coasted Anne Boleyn _everything. _It had made Elizabeth believing she was a mistake. Questioning god on why she didn't have a nicer father and then her mind went to unholy thought _I wish I were born a boy instead! _

It was no lie she had mixed feelings about her half brother. On one hand a part of her was resentful and jealous because there was no doubt that Edward was already their father's favorite for several of reasons. Sympathy and pity came afterwards. _Sympathy _for the fact he was left motherless just like her and_ pity_ since being the only acceptable heir meant that Edward was going face a lot pressure growing up. Everyone realized that, but yet nobody could predict at the age of 9 he would be crowed as '_The Boy King.'_

At twelve an age where Elizabeth viewed herself as much wiser than her previous childhood ages. Her oldest belief got an expansion; At the age of four despite having little to no knowledge about childbirth she saw her father as the reason why another half sibling had lost their mother. She knew that her older sister Mary's mother had died the year before Edward was born and his mother passing. That was simple knowledge, but as she turned twelve Elizabeth realized that Mary lost her mother before she had even died and again it was their father's entire fault.

It was unrealistic to dream about being England's ruler, but that was Elizabeth's dream. Her reign would usher in the golden age and traces of bleakness from her father's reign would be gone. Thus the people would rejoice and love her although most importantly accept her.

Catherine Howard was her least favored stepmother. She was the most draft, frivolous and above all had betrayed her father. However unlike her mother who was innocent of that crime Catherine was guilty. So she had received the ax. Years later, Elizabeth realized how young Catherine was, too young. She was only a teenager who was not made to be queen, who loved life, too much. Which ended before it truly began for her.

Elizabeth had learned that before her death, Catherine had said she would prefer to die as the wife of her lover, Culpepper, shocking the assembly. This had stunned Elizabeth too as no one dared to badmouth her father so publicly, but she also was impressed. The man who sired her didn't **deserve** the titles of _King, Husband and most importantly father._ Catherine had been the only one to denounce, in a certain way, Henry VIII's cruelty, to say how unhappy she was and how her lover brought her joy.

After that she gained another stepmother named _Catherine Parr. _Unlike the previous Catherine, Elizabeth liked her so much that she was her favored stepmother. *It was due to Elizabeth that Catherine outlived her father thus making her the last stepmother.

However it was a strained on Elizabeth's soul witnessing so many woman who were beloved and admired being rejected without remorse. In the worst case scenarios being executed if not fearing for their lives because their one and only fault was not to be able to give a male heir to England. All done by her leech of the man who she had the unfortunately to call_ father_. An one-sided union or loveless marriage was the root of misfortunate in her family if not the most evil of it so she swore never to marry.

When Elizabeth had told her sister this. Mary just looked at her with fear and sadness although she understood. Because she too had suffered, had been separated from her mother Catherine of Aragon who had died without ever being able to see her daughter again. Ignored by father who cruelly refused to allow her to go to the funeral.

_Bloody Mary_ is what her sister turned into and Elizabeth, although not approving of her sister's actions, understood her behavior well at least part of it, because only monsters sired another monsters.

She was horrified at Mary's orders to behead their cousin Jane Grey and her husband despite them being an obstacle on the way to the throne. They didn't deserve that and when she proclaimed so. Elizabeth was dragged to the tower now more terrified of her sister. In those eight weeks of uncertainty she came to the realization that her family would have an *strange of sense of the definition of family.

Later after being pardoned from house arrest. She was brought back to court and the reason why made her terrified even though it should be an joyful occasion. Word had it after so long of a childless marriage her sister would finally become a mother. Leaving Elizabeth quit conflict on how she wanted the outcome to be. If the baby survived childbirth and infancy she would be an aunt something Elizabeth never though possible although it would renew Mary's paranoid that she would turn out to be a threat later on. If both Mary and the child died then she would be queen of course it would because of a sadden occasion, but that would ensure Elizabeth not dying by her sister's hands.

However as time went on there turned out to be no baby. The physician used an unique term to describe this rather odd circumstance _Phantom Pregnancy. _Life began to drain out of her sister shortly after this that's when Elizabeth knew her sister just didn't want a heir she simply just wanted a child to call her own. Two weeks after Mary had recognized Elizabeth as her heir she died leaving Elizabeth succeeding to the throne.

That was the easy part the hard part would be protecting herself and the throne from those who had viewed that it wasn't her's to begin with. _For now there was another Mary who would no could take it all from her in a instant. _ Elizabeth supposed it was irrational to be threatened by a younger cousin she never met, but Mary Stuart was the one she knew an good portion of her country's population wanted.

Regardless of being queen it was lonesome on the throne, but her goal of England Golden Age would be achieved on it. Although yet she though along the way she would find a true companion it came close with *Lola Fleming Narcisse despite her being Mary of Scots first (removed) cousin along with being her lady. She was young, intelligent, and alone too. Estranged from her husband whom she feared, but she focused more on the strength of her friends affection despite them all being scattered across the global. However the separation that pained Lady Lola the most was being away from her son Jean. Despite the decades that passed since her own separate from her own mother although seeing Lola's pain. She was more in tuned to Jean's pain so she reunion mother and son. At the moment it seemed like a merciful gift, but then she had no choice in the matter of having Lady Lola executed. She could have banished her from the court, exiled her, and never seen her again. Lola would keep her life well most importantly her head and Jean would not be an orphan. However law demanded those convicted of high treason shall be headless in their own coffin plus an power-hungry part of Elizabeth whispered "_It shall be the example that sends your citizens and any potential usurpers an message._"

So she gave into that and harden her already splintering heart. Narcisse's attempts of a recuse reminded Elizabeth of her recurring nightmare that last happened a few weeks back. _The utter failure of saving_ _her mother it was cruel she could barely remember her own mother, but she could recall Catherine Howard although long ago being told to remember someone for their live; Elizabeth in that moment though of Catherine's death. _

Lola had to die and it broke her heart which momentary start to feel, because she was going to have to kill her friend, even though she had accepted her death without complaining, dignified, as Elizabeth's mother had done. The ax fell down and Narcissus' cry of pain was the soundtrack. That's when Elizabeth could not help but think back to her own decapitated mother, her head coming off the body and the blood spurting and flowing like now. What Elizabeth didn't know in that moment that Narcisse would mentally swear to gaining his revenge and that later on top of an Scottish Mountain overlooking the border cousin Mary would declare "_Someday England it'll be mine!" _finally taking her claim of queenship over England seriously.

Nearly Twenty-Three years had passed as the world moved forward, but one queen wouldn't see that because of the gilded cage she was in. Although how could it be gilded when she was sentenced to the same fate that befallen other ladies who hit this same level of misfortunate.

Mary's imprisonment had had an effect on her, but she was still as beautiful as in her youth. Although most importantly she advanced, upright, dignified, like all the others before her, dressed in black, pale and clutching a crucifix in her hands not afraid of the end.

"_I put my trust in you my lord."_

Her head rested on the block. In a few moments the ax would fall and Mary would be dead. She could always back down. She was the queen, she could get up very well and order them to stop, release then exile her, but she could not, because as long as Mary was alive, she remained a threat and just as Henry VIII was perfectly aware that Anne Boleyn was innocent of the crimes with which she was charged, Elizabeth knew that Mary had nothing to do with most of the crimes that were alleged against her. She could always back down, but this wasn't her choice it was Mary's own son who had chosen this.

The ax split the air and Mary Stuart's head landed in a basket.

She had nothing to fear now. She was free after all only one queen could rule. James would take over after her.

Elizabeth could not help but look at her hands. Despite not being the one who sung the ax or voicing the final choice of Mary's fate. She envisioned her hands stained with crimson blood. Elizabeth heard a voice she hadn't heard for years because she blocked it out. "_No matter how hard you tried not to be like him. You're actually alike him accept it Elizabeth you cannot be your mother's daughter as long as you're father's daughter." _ The ghost of Lady Lola told her. Elizabeth composed herself after hearing Lola, but it was when Mary Stuart's lifeless, headless body was removed, like the worthy queen she was. Elizabeth had allowed herself to screamed in private. Just like twenty three years prior Lola was right.

* * *

Here are some things some of you might find interesting:

*It was due to Elizabeth that Catherine outlived her father thus making her the last stepmother: The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I - Red Rose of the House of Tudor an TV movie adapted from the The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I (Novel) Henry plotted to kill Catherine simply because he was getting bored of her, but Elizabeth learned of the plan and outsmart him by convincing him it was in his best interest to let Catherine live. However Catherine died the year following Henry, but regardless saving Catherine granted her more time to live.

* Lola Fleming Narcisse despite her being Mary of Scots first (removed) cousin along with being her lady: The lady who Lola was based on was indeed Mary's cousin since her mother, Janet was an illegitimate daughter of James IV of Scotland (Mary's grandfather) during his marriage to Margaret Tudor. Really wished Reign would acknowledge that especially since Adeline Kane (Mary) and Anna Popplewell (Lola) do have an resemblance especially when their hair were styled so simliar in scenes when they were together which made me momentary confused from time to time.. lol.

*Strange of sense of the definition of family: This is paraphrasing an ironic Elizabeth's quote that she said to Lola in S3 right before their friendship ended for good. That was one of my favorite moments from the show.

I wanted to do my own take of Elizabeth since she's such an complex character and I'm enthralled by her her actress Rachel Skarsten whose newest CW role is Alice in Batwoman. Quite ironic when since Elizabeth in universe has the public persona of Queen Of Hearts especially when she's tied to two beheadings well least in the universe of Reign obviously referring to Lola and Mary. At least in real life she didn't order the death of any of _Mary's Ladies In Waiting. _To me Elizabeth seems undeniably tamer than her father when it came to bloodlust and chopping off heads. He should gotten the title_ King Of Hearts _he's more comparable to his Fictional Distaff counterpart _The Queen Of Hearts _who was created by Lewis Caroll an few centuries later. I know Elizabeth's sister Mary was vicious in her own way too, but I have the feeling Elizabeth was more impacted by their father than of her sister since Freudian Excuses comes from an person was parented or lack for of. As Elizabeth once said _"Now I know how I must rule I must always be seen as Henry's daughter."_ Only if she wasn't royalty Elizabeth could had been seen as her mother's daughter which was something an part of Elizabeth's that she wanted even in her early years as Queen, but after sentencing Lola to die. Elizabeth understandably shed that notion, but it's affect to the point where it's stated by Lola's ghost since the living will never admit older beliefs and notions they buried when they stopped longing and wishing for them. Although as noted in Elizabeth's final scene Mary's son does noted that Elizabeth must be exhausted being 'The Woman Who Wears The Queenly Mask' which she admits to and why she handed him the final choice regarding Mary's fate which despite her doubt of the execution allowed it to carry on since it would been his choice to stop it, however we all know how that went.

**_Leave a review and tell me what you think of my first Reign piece._**


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